Electrically powered ceiling fans typically have a motor mounted within a stationary housing that is suspended from a ceiling. In operation, the motor rotates an annular array of individual extensions in the form of blade irons. Each blade iron is associated with a blade mounted thereto.
Ceiling fans are usually sold at retail with their blades packed separately from the fan housing or blade irons for compactness. The housing is normally mounted in suspension from the ceiling through a downrod and then the blades are mounted to the blade irons. To do this, the blades have been mounted to the blade irons with screws or bolts. This has been cumbersome and tedious as the installer has had to be elevated on a ladder or platform and work above his head. This work has entailed aligning the mounting holes of the blade and blade iron and torguing the screws all while having to hold the blade above his head and often under poor lighting conditions. For blade replacement, the same task has been involved.
Ceiling fan blades have been designed to be coupled to a blade iron for quick mounting and dismounting, as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 6,010,306. This ceiling fan design shows a blade iron having three flat headed posts adapted to be slid into the narrow portion of key-hole shapes slots within the corresponding blade. The blade is prevented from moving by a spring blade lock which abuts the inward end of the blade. A problem however with this design is that the vibration or movement of the blade causes the flat head of the posts to rub against the blade, which oftentimes is made of a rather soft material such as wood. This rubbing may cause the deterioration of the blade adjacent the key hole slot, thereby causing a loose fitting or even the wearing through of the blade to such a degree as to cause the blade to dislodge from the underlying blade iron. This loosening of the blade is an obvious danger that should be avoided.
Accordingly, it is seen that a need remains for a ceiling fan capable of having its blades mounted and dismounted in a more efficient and easier manner. It is to the provision of such therefore that the present invention is primarily directed.